Indian Game Tartakower Defense
Indian Game: Tartakower Defense
Definition
The Indian Game: Tartakower Defense is a flexible Queen-side fianchetto system that usually arises after the moves:
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6
(or, more generally, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 followed at some point by …b6 and …Bb7 before Black commits the d-pawn).
Black postpones the classical pawn thrusts …d5 or …g6, instead developing the queen’s bishop to the long diagonal (…Bb7).
The idea and early practice of this set-up are credited to the Polish-French grandmaster Savielly Tartakower, hence the name “Tartakower Defense.”
ECO codes A45–A48 cover its main branches.
Typical Move-Order & Transpositions
- Main Line: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 5.e3 d5 (or 5…Bb4)
- Fianchetto Line: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 (fighting for the c4-square)
- Queen’s Indian Transposition: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 5.g3 Bb4 (now officially a Queen’s Indian by ECO code)
- Bogo-Indian Transposition: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nf3 Bb4+
Because the structure is so pliable, the Tartakower Defense is a favourite of players who like to keep their options open and steer the game into less-studied middlegames.
Strategic Ideas
- Dark-square Control
The fianchettoed bishop on b7 eyes the vital e4 and d5 squares, discouraging an immediate central pawn avalanche by White. - Delayed Centre
Black often refrains from …d5 or …c5 until the optimal moment, striving to strike back after completing development. - Minor-Piece Pressure
Maneuvers such as …Bb4, …Ne4, or …Bb7-a6 (pinning the c4-pawn) place positional pressure on White’s queenside. - Transpositional Traps
Because the opening can slip into Queen’s Indian, Nimzo-Indian or even English Defence structures, unwary opponents can be dragged into schemes they did not prepare for.
Plans for Each Side
- White
- Occupy the centre with e4 or d5 if permissible.
- Clamp the queenside with a2–a3 & b2–b4, preventing …Bb4 and gaining space.
- Use a fianchetto (g3/Bg2) to blunt the b7-bishop, then play for cxd5 followed by Ne5 or Qb3.
- Black
- Complete development smoothly: …Bb7, …Be7, …0-0.
- Break in the centre at a chosen moment with …d5, …c5 or even …e5.
- If White plays g3, reply with …Ba6 to exchange the dangerous g2-bishop.
- Exploit the half-open e-file after an early …c5 & …d5 pawn exchange (…exd5) to activate rooks.
Historical & Theoretical Significance
Tartakower used this system successfully in the 1920s, popularizing the idea that a bishop outside the pawn chain is never bad.
Although it never became a mainstream top-level defense in the way the Queen’s Indian did, it has been a useful surprise weapon:
- Tartakower – Capablanca, New York 1924: the originator held the World Champion to a draw using early …b6 & …Bb7 ideas.
- Kasparov – Gheorghiu, Montreal 1980: Kasparov’s kingside pawn storm finally broke through, but only after Gheorghiu’s Tartakower set-up provided stubborn resistance for 40 moves.
- Anand – Adams, Linares 1999: Adams equalized comfortably in a Fianchetto line, showing the opening’s continued viability.
Illustrative Mini-Game
[[Pgn| d4 Nf6 c4 e6 Nf3 b6 g3 Bb7 Bg2 Be7 0-0 0-0 Nc3 Ne4 Qc2 Nxc3 Qxc3 c5 dxc5 bxc5 Rd1 d6 Bf4 Nc6| arrows|c4c5,b7g2|squares|e4]]Black solved his opening problems (the g2-bishop is blunted, the c-file is half-open for counterplay) while keeping a solid pawn structure.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- In some databases the same position is filed three different ways: under the Indian Game (A45), the Queen’s Indian (E12) and even the English Defence (A40) depending on when …b6 was played—illustrating its transpositional nature.
- The Polish-born Tartakower jokingly described his own repertoire as
the Indian jungle with a French accent
; the Tartakower Defense embodies this spirit by mixing hyper-modern and classical motifs. - Modern engines give a dead-even evaluation in most main-line Tartakower positions, yet club players rarely encounter it—making it an excellent practical weapon.
- FIDE Master James Plaskett once played 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3!? and, after …Bb7 5.d5!, won in 19 moves—illustrating that unprepared play from Black can backfire just as quickly.
Summary
The Indian Game: Tartakower Defense is a sound, strategically rich opening that gifts Black a sturdy structure, a powerful fianchettoed bishop, and a wealth of transpositional opportunities. While it may not headline modern elite repertoire lists, it remains a respected and under-explored path to dynamic equality—perfect for players who relish flexible setups and subtle maneuvering battles rather than heavy theoretical memorization.